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On social media, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted clips of Serbian actor Milos Bikovic receiving a medal for his cultural achievements from Vladimir Putin in 2018.
By Christopher Kuo
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry criticized HBO this week after Milos Bikovic participated in the third season of “The White Lotus,” claiming without evidence that the Serbian actor had supported Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
HBO announced on Jan. 12 that Bikovic, 36, would be signed up for the black comedy about wealthy tourists staying at the island’s resorts. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry made accusations against Bikovic on social media, writing: “HBO, can you chat with a user who supports genocide and violates foreign laws?”
Bikovic received the Pushkin Medal, which honors contributions to Russian arts and culture, from President Vladimir Putin in 2018 and was granted Russian citizenship by presidential decree in 2021.
In February 2022, the day after the invasion began, Bikovic said on Instagram that he wished the war hadn’t happened. “War and bloodshed, on both sides, remind us how far humanity is from global unity and love,” he wrote in Russian and Serbian. May God save the lives of all those who are now in danger!”
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and Bikovic did not respond to requests for comment. An HBO spokesperson said questions would be directed to Bikovic’s representatives.
President Biden has called Russia’s invasion genocide, and The New York Times has collected evidence of brutalities by Russia, including the willful killing of noncombatants.
A 79-second video posted through the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on social media interspersed scenes from “The White Lotus” with excerpts of Bikovic accepting Putin’s award and past comments the actor allegedly made about Russia. In a voiceover, he claimed that Bikovic was “the Kremlin’s foreign spokesman. “
In his acceptance speech for the Pushkin Medal, Bikovic stressed the unity between Russia and Serbia. “What a joy for Russians and Serbs in our country because we have the same vision of the world,” he said in Russian.
Ukraine banned Bikovic from entering the country in 2019 for what it called national security reasons. At the time, he told a Serbian publication that “from a human and poetic point of view, this is absurd and interesting. “
Before he was cast in “The White Lotus,” Bikovic acted in movies including “South Wind,” which follows a gang member in Belgrade; “Sunstroke,” about military officers remembering the collapse of the Russian Empire; “Ice,” in which he plays a figure skater; and “The Balkan Line,” about a military operation during the Kosovo war.
The third season of “The White Lotus” will begin production in Thailand next month and is expected to air in 2025. It will star Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey and returning actress Natasha Rothwell.
Christopher Kuo is a culture reporter for The Times and a member of the 2023-24 Times Fellowship. Learn more about Christopher Kuo
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